Balancing machine



April 26, 1932. G. T. JOHNSON f 1,855,397

BALQNCING MACHINE Filed Deo, l5, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 26, 1932. G. T. JOHNSON BALANCING MACHINE Filed DBC. l5, 1930k 3 Sheets-Sheei 2 nderr: MC

April 26, 1932. G. T. JOHNSON BALANC ING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 NETE GrUS'lAVE` T. JOHNSON, OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WISCONSIN Y BALANCING MACHINE Application filed December 15, 1930. Serial No. 502,318.

i termine or ascertain the amount of unbalfil ance.

A further purpose of the invention is to supply a mechanism of this character which will perform its functions eciently and satisfactorily, which comprises relatively few parts, which can be produced economically, and which is unlikely to become damaged in ordinary service.

To enable those skilled in this art to understand the invention fully, both from structural and functional standpoints, in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description, a present, preferred embodiment of the invention has been fully illustrated, and, for simplicity, like reference numerals have been employed to designate the same parts throughout the several views.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved appliance;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical cross-section on line 4-4 of Figure 2; and A Figure 5 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary section through one of the knifeedge bearings.

Referring to these drawings, it will be noted that the novel apparatus includes a base-plate 11 on which are bolted a pair of upright, hollow standards 12 and 13 suitably spaced apart and in proper alignment with one another.

Inside of each of such standards there is a vertical rod 14 slidable in suitable bear- A`= ings, and on the topV end of each such rod there is a tool-steel hardened and ground block 15 mounted in any approved manner, the upper face of such member 15y having a V-shaped cavity 16 constituting one element of a knife-edge bearing, it being understood that the two recesses 16 of the pair of rods are in exact register or alignment.

As is shown in Figure 2, the lower, rounded ends 17 of such rods bear on and col-operate with cams 18 inthe base portions of the standards 12 and 13, and mounted on or forming integral parts of a cross cam-shaft 19 oscillatory in appropriate bearings in the standards, and one protruding end of the shaftis fitting kwith an upstanding operating handle 21, the turning or rocking of which causes the bearing-members 15 to rise or descend equally and simultaneously.

The companion, hardened and` ground, knife-edge elements 22, 22 are accommodated in sleevesv 23, 23 iixed in a balancing-frame, characterized as a whole 24, and composed of horizontal, parallel side-bars 25, 26 above the two standards or posts 12 and 13 and joined or connected together at their opposite ends by suit-able rods 27 and 28.

Each such side-bar 25, 26 has integral therewith a depending support 29, 31, respectively, in alignment with the corresponding knife-edge bearing, and adjustable toward and from such ybearings on these supports by slot and bolt constructions 32, 32 are a pair of brackets 33, 33, each carrying a pair of inwardly-projecting, revolubly-mounted, antifriction, work-supporting rollers 34, 34 spaced equally on opposite sides of the plane of the corresponding knife-edge bearing 16, 22 above.

Directly above its knife-edge bearing, the side-bar is equipped with a vertical rod 35 on which a compensating-weight 36 is adjustable lengthwise and which may be maintained in its desired position by a setscrew 37, and, on its outer side, such sidebar is fitted with a balancing-weight 38, which may slide on an auxiliary bar secured to the side-bar or which may be mounted on a stationary, screw-threaded shaft and be adjustable therealong by turning the weight about its own axis, both of these being old and .velLlrnown structures: or equivalents.

A scale-bar 44 is mounted on projections or lugs 41, 42, 43 on the outer face of the frame side-bar 26, such bar 44 presenting, on the forward side of the frame, a scale 45 with 32 spaced index lines and with a zero line directly above the corresponding knife-edge bearing, the scale of course having a complementary, sliding weight 46.

Scale-bar 44 on the rear of the balancingframe has another graduated, notched scale 47 with its zero graduation coinciding with that of scale 45, a weight pan 48 co-operating with the scale and its notches in the usual Wag.

till a third, graduated, notched scale-bar4 51 is mounted on the lower part of lug 41 and on another projection 49, this scale being on the front of the frame with its Zero in register with the knife-edge bearing or a-Xis of the balancing-frame 24, a suitable weight 52 co-acting with such scale.

Scale 51 and its weight 52 show the number of holes required to be drilled out of the tested body for a given radius from its center and a given size of drill, to provide the body with proper balance.

Scale 45 and weight 46 show the depth of hole to be drilled out of the body undergoing examination for a given radius from its center and with a predetermined size of drill.

One graduation on scale 51 corresponds to the entire thirty-two graduations on scale 45, so that scale 51 indicates the number of full-depth holes to be drilled, and scale 45 specifies the depth of the additional, single, supplemental hole to be bored into the body.

The top of each post or standard 12 and 13 is flat and the undersides of the side-bars 25 and 26 immediately above are also flat and adapted to rest thereon when the rods 14 are in their lowered positions.

Thus the knife-edge bearings are only operative and their complementary or companion elements 15 and 22 in engagement during the testing of some structure.

To assist in positioning or centering the frame 24 when it descends to rest directly on the standards, the latter are provided with upstanding, pointed guide-pins 55, 55, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, adapted to enter conical recesses 56,56 inthe underside of the frame.

In some cases, it is desirable to support non-circular bodies to be tested on an arbor, and, in order to support such an arbor with its axis in precise register with the axis of turning of the frame 24, the upper ends of the parts 29 are supplied with aligned, semicircular bearings or cavities 57 for the reception of the end portions of the arbor.

The appliance is operated practically as follows, assuming that a fly-wheel is to be tested for static balance.

The brackets 33 and their rollers 34, 34 are adjusted by the means 32 so that the iiywheel, if its circular periphery were resting on the rollers, would have its axis in exact register with that of the knife-edge bearings.

In some cases, the testing operation can be satisfactorily performed by adjusting and using merely one of such brackets and its supporting rollers, depending upon the size and weight of the structure to be examined.

Then the frame 24 by itself is preliminarily tested for balance by turning lever 2l to raise the frame 01ml of the supporting standards and to carry it solely on the knifeedge bearings, the swinging of such handle, as will be readily understood, elevating the members 14, 14 and their bearing-elements l5, 15 sufficiently to lift the frame thereby.

' If the frame swings either way on its bearings, weight 38 is moved along in the proper direction horizontally the required amount to obtain the desired balance, and, if the frame has a too rapid period of oscillation, the compensating-weight 36 adjusted upwardly on its supporting rod to a point where the frame tends to tip easily one way or the other, which indicates that it is too top-heavy or in unstable equilibrium, whereupon the weight is moved down a small distance and fastened in such new position.

rlhen, by means of handle 21, the frame is allowed to descend and rest on the tops of the standards, whereupon the ily-wheel to be tested is mounted on the appliance by placing its periphery on the supporting rollers 34, 34, it being obvious that since the knifeedge elements are not in engagement at this time, the positioning of the wheel on the rollers cannot injure them.

Handle 21 is now turned to raise the frame and its iiy-wheel and to render the knifeedge bearings operative to support them sensitively, and the fly-wheel being out of balance will cause the frame to tip or tilt onel way or the other.

Assuming that the right-hand end of the frame, as the appliance is viewed in Figure 2, tips down, this action is noted and the frame is let down and the top part of the liywheel turned by hand to the right a small amount, that is to say, in the same direction as the frame tips, whereupon the frame is elevated again and the direction of tilting observed; the frame is then permitted to descend, the wheel turned fart-her, and again raised, and this procedure is continued until the frame is tipped in the opposite direction, in which case the fly-wheel is revolved by hand a small amount backwardly, or until a point of turning of the wheel is reached so that the frame will remain in balance.

It is now evident that the heavy side of the iy-wheel is directly under the knifeedge bearings and the top part of the wheel then turned one-quarter of a revolution to the left, which will bring the heav.v side of the wheel opposite to the adjustable weights 46 and 52.

These one or more weights is or are moved along their respective scale bars, and if the frame does not balance Within the capacity of the Weight 46, the Weight 52 is moved over to the left one notch, which amounts to the same Weight as When Weight 46 is in register with the 32nd line of its scale 45.

The Weights 52 and 46 are moved as may be required until the frame is balanced, and When this has been accomplished, the position of the Weight 52 Will indicate on its scale 5l hovv many full-depth holes must be drilled out With a predetermined size of drill and at a predetermined distance from the center of the Wheel and the fractional depth of an additional hole to be drilled will he indicated by the graduation on scale 45 with Which the Weight 46 is in register.

rThis result, as to the radius of the flywheel on which the drilling` should occur and the amount of drilling is noted on the fly- Wheel, which can be readily staticaily balanced thereafter by the performance of the specified removal of the amount of metal by the drilling action referred to.

The frame is then allow to descend and the fly-Wheel removed.

The method of balancing bodies which require Weights to be fastened thereto is along the saine time, except that When theheavy side of the body,.is located, it is turned one-fourth to the left, bringing the heavy side of the body opposite the Weight pan 48 which is placed on the scale at a point corresponding to the radius Where the counterweight should be secured.

This pan is then loaded With the required amount of Weights to balance the frame and the aggregate of such Weights is that Which should be added to the body at the radius corresponding to the position of the scale pan 4S on scale 47.

This result having been determined, the tested body is removed from the apparatus and the Weight added thereto at the correct position.

As has been referred to above, it may be preferable, in some instances, to test bodies on an arbor resting in the recesses 5'? rather than by employment of the rollers 34.

Those skilled in this industry will readily understand that the invention is not necessarily limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of structure presented, and that many more or less minor or major modifications may be incorporated in the apparatus Without departure from the invention as defined by the appended claims and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material benefits or advantages.

I claim:

l. In a balancing-machine, the combi ation of a support, a balancing-frame, knifeedge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said frame adapted to support a body to be tested by its periphery and adjustable to register the axis of said body with that of said bearing, a scale on said frame, and a Weight co-operating With said scale to balance the frame and body.

2. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing' frame, a knifeedge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said frame adapt-ed to support the body to be tested by engagement with its periphery and on which said body is adapted to be turned, said means Vbeing adjustable to register the axis of said body with the axis of said bearing, a scale on said frame, andl a Weight co-operating With said scale to Vbalance the frame and body.

3. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing-frame, a knifeedge bearing'for said frame on saidsupport, means on said frame to support the body to be tested With its axis in register With the axis of said bearing and in a manner to permit rotation of said body on said frame, a scale on said frame, and a Weight co-operating with said scale to balance said frame and body.

4. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing-frame, a knifeedge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said frame to support the body to be tested With its axis in register With the axis of said bearing and in a manner to permit rotation of said body on said frame, a scale on said frame, and a Weight co-operating With said scale to balance said frame and body, said scale being graduated in a manner to indicate by the position of the Weight thereon the number of full-depth holes of a predetermined size drill at a predetermined radius required to be drilled into said body to balance it.

5. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing-frame, a knifeedge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said frame to support the body to be tested with its axis in register with the axis of said bearing and in a manner to permit rotation of said body on said frame, a scale on said frame, and a Weinfht co-operating with said scale to balance said frame and body, said scale being graduated in a manner to indicate by the position of the Weight thereon the depth of a hole to be drilled in said body at a predetermined radius by a predetermined size drill to balance said body.

6. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing-frame, a knifeedge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said irame to support the body to be tested with its axis in register With the axis of said bearing and in a manner to permit rotation of said body on said frame, a first scale on said frame, a Weight co-operating With said scale, a second scale on said frame, and a Weight co-operating With said second scale, said scales being so graduated that the position of the Weight on said first scale and the position of the Weight on said second scale will indicate respectively the number of full-depth holes of a predetermined size drill at a predetermined radius and the depth of an additional hole of a predetermined size drill at a predetermined radius required to be drilled into said body to balance it.

7. In a balancing-machine, the combination of a support, a balancing-frame, a knife-edge bearing for said frame on said support, means on said frame to support the body to be tested With its axis in register with the axis of said bearing,` and with the body capable of turning on the frame, a scale on said frame graduated in distances from the axis of said frame, and a Weight adjustable as to amount Co-operating With said scale' and adapted to balance the tested body, the amount of such Weight indicating the Weight to be added to said tested body at a radius corresponding to that indicated by the position of the Weight on the scale to balance said body.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAVE T. JOHNSON. 

